Using cable or chain instead of blades on a riding mower

[1Mech]

I have quite a few rocks and uneven terrain on my property, on which I keep the weeds down with a 42" riding mower. Needless to say, the occasional blade striking a rock is rough on the blades and spindles. Has anyone tried or considered taking an old blade, cutting it short and drilling holes near the mounting area, then attaching either cables or small chains to make it more like a weed eater to keep from damaging the mower parts?
I have ordered new blades and spindles, but plan to give this a try with the old blades. I don't cut a large enough area to justify a bush hog mower.

 

[scootr]

I did this to an old 5ft brush hog last summer. We put 12" of chain on each blade. I worked good but we didn't get a lot of use as it was the end of the growing season and not quite time for it yet this year. Keep us posted

 

[bcp]

Cable will send high speed flying wire out from under the deck as strands break.

Chain is often used on brush cutters.

Bruce

 

[Carl_NH]

Don't use cable as bcp said, and with chain you will need a smaller 1/8" or maybe 3/16. Chain uses velocity to shred stuff vs cutting so takes more power to do the work,

I'd stick with old blades and maybe try to raise the deck higher to clear rocks?

 

[scootr]

Removing the rocks may be an option. I have a 5 acre field like this. First mowing cost me a set of blades. I disced, smoothed, and removed the surface rock, 3 buckets from 5 acres! The second cut was nice only one rock jumped up at the blades.

 

[Richard001]

There will be no end to the rock problem, it's as if they grow up out of the ground. It looks like you are in Calif where it most likley does not freeze. So you may be better off than those who live in parts of the country where the ground freezes, which pushes up the rocks.

 

[1Mech]

There will be no end to the rock problem, it's as if they grow up out of the ground. It looks like you are in Calif where it most likley does not freeze. So you may be better off than those who live in parts of the country where the ground freezes, which pushes up the rocks.

Not California, way too many fruits & nuts there! My property is in north central Arkansas, the Ozarks, lots of big rocks giving birth to many more smaller rocks. I have already cleared many rocks, but there are always the ones you miss on a walk through!
Guess I will try some chain, I don't want wire shards flying out!

 

[Carl_NH]

Removing the rocks may be an option. I have a 5 acre field like this. First mowing cost me a set of blades. I disced, smoothed, and removed the surface rock, 3 buckets from 5 acres! The second cut was nice only one rock jumped up at the blades.

Your fortunate only 3 buckets on 5 acres - here they push up a new crop every winter so either fill and level soil around them or dig them out.

What's that you are dragging - looks like a FEL bucket or is it a grading device with slots to catch rocks?

 

[scootr]

Your fortunate only 3 buckets on 5 acres - here they push up a new crop every winter so either fill and level soil around them or dig them out.

What's that you are dragging - looks like a FEL bucket or is it a grading device with slots to catch rocks?

Last yr I ended up dragging the heavy MX bucket over this disced field to smooth it out so I could mow the field this yr. It did a pretty good job of moving the big stuff. I ended up throwing something together for a final pass and it looked pretty good afterwards. Rocks were collected the old fashion way, manually. Mowing that field is now possible after a lot of prep.

 

[nyone]

at one point my yard was so bad I would have to stock a spindle and blade. Until I bought a low end commercial ZTR. It's also got quick to adjust deck level settings. I have hit many things that stop my mower and still have the original spindles, bearings and blades.